Bacon Cheeseburger Shotgun Shells
Uncooked manicotti shells get packed with beef, sharp cheddar, cream cheese, pickles, and onion, then wrapped in thick-cut bacon. An overnight rest softens the pasta before smoking. A barbecue glaze finishes the bacon, with homemade burger sauce served on the side.
Cooking Notes
Fill the shells from both ends so there are no empty sections. Cover and refrigerate them overnight after wrapping; the rest softens the uncooked pasta. Use the bacon, glaze, and a 160°F filling temperature to judge the finish.
1. Mix the Cheeseburger Filling
Finely dice the white onion and dill pickles. Combine the ground beef, softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, ½ cup onion, ¼ cup pickles, Worcestershire sauce, and burger seasoning. Mix until the filling is evenly combined.
2. Fill the Manicotti
Spoon the filling into a zip-top bag and snip off one corner. Pipe it into both ends of each uncooked manicotti shell, filling the pasta completely.
3. Wrap and Refrigerate Overnight
Wrap each filled shell completely with 1–2 slices of thick-cut bacon. Dust the outside with more burger seasoning, cover the tray, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Smoke and Mix the Dipping Sauce
Preheat the Z Grills pellet grill to 275°F. Smoke the wrapped shells for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, chopped pickles, and a splash of pickle juice for the burger sauce.
5. Glaze and Finish at Higher Heat
Brush the shells generously with Heath Riles Competition BBQ Sauce, then increase the grill to 350°F. Continue cooking until the bacon has rendered and crisped, the sauce is tacky, and the beef filling reaches 160°F.
6. Serve with Burger Sauce
Serve the finished shotgun shells with the homemade burger sauce on the side for dipping.
Leave a comment